Friday, February 19, 2010

Just when I thought nothing could freak me out, I discovered French horror movies. Although in recent years, Asian horror ruled in terms of shock value, French films are edging ahead. Asian horror pioneered the "extreme" films, however the storylines typically involved ghosts and the supernatural (very popular themes in Japan and Korea) France on the other hand, is taking the genre by storm with harrowing depictions of things that could actually happen. "Inside" is eerily reminiscent of recent cases in the U.S. where women who desperately wanted babies kidnapped expectant mothers and stole their unborn children.

Inside is the tragic story of Sarah, a pregnant woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband is killed in a car accident that she and her unborn child survive. On Christmas Eve, she's waiting in her home alone, preparing for the birth of her child the following day. I guess rightfully so, she feels pretty miserable about the world and her life in general. Although family and friends offer to spend the holiday with her, she only wants to be alone with her mourning and sadness.

Unfortunately, someone else has different plans. In a scene similar to When a Stranger Calls and The Strangers, Sarah receives an unexpected knock at her door. Although she tells the chick to hit the bricks, she isn't going anywhere. She finagles her way inside Sarah's house and the battle begins. The intruder makes it clear that she is NOT leaving without Sarah's baby, end of story. She doesn't really give a crap what happens to Sarah as long as she makes that baby her own by night's end. There is a reason that this lady is interested in Sarah's baby and it really ties the movie together. The last shot of the villian is particularly horrifying, so don't miss it.

This movie is really, really extreme in terms of the violence. Definitely don't watch if you have a queasy stomach. Neither of these women are giving up the fight easily and this turns into a seriously messy game of cat and mouse. This is not only one of the best French horror movies, but one of the best horror movies of the year. Keep 'em coming, France.